Echeveria plant named ‘Love&#39;s Fire’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Echeveria agavoides cultivar named ‘Love&#39;s Fire’ is disclosed, rapid, robust growth and improved resistance to fungal disease brought on by overwatering. Plants offset freely, producing an attractive cluster. Foliage is bright red during cooler months and distinctively red during the rest of the year. Echeveria is a popular genus, typically produced as container plants for the patio or as landscape plants.

Latin name of the genus and species: Echeveria agavoides.

Variety denomination: ‘LOVE'S FIRE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar, Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’, is the product of a plannedbreeding program. The new variety originated from a self-pollination ofthe parent, a proprietary, unpatented Echeveria agavoides cultivar knownas Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid “A”. The self-pollination was madeduring March 2013, in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse. The newcultivar ‘Love's Fire’ was selected by the inventor, Renee O' Connell,in February 2014, in Vista, Calif. at a commercial greenhouse.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’ was firstperformed in Vista, Calif., at a commercial greenhouse, by vegetativeoffsets in September 2015. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ has since produced atleast 7 generations and has shown that the unique features of thiscultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Love's Fire’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘LOVE'S FIRE’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘LOVE'S FIRE’ as a new and distinct Echeveriacultivar:

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ is faster growing than many Echeveria        agavoides cultivars, enhancing production times in the        commercial nursery environment.    -   2. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ grows more robustly than many other        Echeveria agavoides cultivars, displaying a resistance to the        fungal diseases common with overwatering Echeveria agavoides.    -   3. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ displays upswept rosettes of longer,        more slender leaves as compared to many other Echeveria        agavoides cultivars.    -   4 Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ freely produces offsets, creating an        aesthetically attractive cluster in an 8″ pot, unlike many other        Echeveria agavoides cultivars.    -   5. The freely produced offsets of Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’        enhance rapid propagation of the variety in the commercial        nursery environment.    -   6. The rosette of Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ blushes fire red        during the cooler months, but retains much of this red        coloration nearly year-round. Drought, bright light or cool        temperatures intensify red blush.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’ are similar to plants of theparent in most horticultural characteristics. However, plants of the newcultivar ‘Love's Fire’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ exhibits faster growth than does        Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid “A”.    -   2. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ produces a more enhanced red        coloration, as compared with Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid        “A”.    -   3. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ produces larger rosettes than        Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid “A”.    -   4. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ freely produces offsets, whereas        Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid “A” is sparsely offsetting.    -   5. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ produces slightly more slender leaves        than Echeveria agavoides ‘Rubra’ hybrid “A”.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

The new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’ can be compared to the unpatentedcommercial variety Echeveria agavoides ‘Romeo’. Plants of the newcultivar ‘Love's Fire’ differ in the following:

-   -   1. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ produces longer, more slender leaves        than does Echeveria agavoides ‘Romeo’.    -   2. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ displays much more resistance to        fungal and bacterial rot than does Echeveria agavoides ‘Romeo’.    -   3. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ offsets more freely at a smaller pot        size than does Echeveria agavoides ‘Romeo’.    -   4. The rosette of Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ displays a more        upswept morphology than does the rosette of Echeveria agavoides        ‘Romeo’, which tends to be flatter in morphology.

The new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’ can be compared to the unpatentedEcheveria agavoides ‘Red Edge’. Plants of the new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’are similar to Echeveria agavoides ‘Red Edge’ in most horticulturalcharacteristics. However, plants of the new cultivar ‘Love's Fire’differ in the following:

-   -   1. The rosette of Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ blushes fire red in        totality, whereas the rosette of Echeveria agavoides ‘Red Edge’        exhibits the red coloration on the leaf apices and margins.    -   2. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ displays rosettes with longer,        slender leaves, whereas Echeveria agavoides ‘Red Edge’ exhibits        flatter, wider, shorter leaves.    -   3. Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ exhibits faster growth than Echeveria        agavoides ‘Red Edge’, enhancing production times in a commercial        nursery.    -   4. The rosette of Echeveria ‘Love's Fire’ displays a more        upswept morphology, whereas the rosette of Echeveria agavoides        ‘Red Edge’ is flatter in morphology.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates in full color typical plants of‘LOVE'S FIRE’ grown in a greenhouse in Vista, Calif. The plant isapproximately 10 months age and grown under approximately 3000-footcandles of light in a greenhouse in Vista, Calif.. No artificial light,photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to theplants. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques andequipment. While the colors in the photograph may display variances ofcolor as compared to the living cultivar, due to LRV (light reflectancevalue), they are as accurate as possible using conventional photographictechniques. Colors in the photograph may appear to differ slightly fromthe color values cited in the botanical description, which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Echeveria plant. Temperatures ranged fromapproximately 2° C. to 38° C. night and day.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘Love's Fire’ plants in a commercialgreenhouse in Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from 2° C. to 38° C.night and day. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemicaltreatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions wereapproximately 2500 to 2500 fc of light. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Echeveria agavoides ‘LOVE'S FIRE’.

PROPAGATION

-   Type of propagation typically used: Terminal vegetative cuttings.-   Time to initiate roots: About 11 days at approximately 24° C.-   Root description: Fibrous.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: Approximately 4 months from a cutting.-   Container size of the plant described: 10 cm.-   Growth habit: Moderately dense, symmetrical rosette.-   Height: Approximately 6 to 8 cm to top of highest leaf.-   Plant spread: Approximately 12 to 14 cm.-   Growth rate: Moderate to rapid.-   Branching characteristics: Rosette forming, no branching.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Rosulate.        -   Average length.—Average 5.5 cm.        -   Average width.—2.0 cm.        -   Thickness.—5 to 10 mm.        -   Shape of blade.—Deltate.        -   Apex.—Acute. Slightly sharp.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Aspect.—Moderately concave.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.        -   Appearance of top surface.—Matte, somewhat of a glow from            the intensity of the color, but, not iridescent.        -   Appearance of bottom surface.—Matte to nearly shiny.        -   Quantity of leaves per plant.—Average range 25 to 32.        -   Color.—Young foliage upper side, towards apex: Near RHS            Greyed-Purple 187A, and 185A, margin brightly colored near            Red 53A. Young foliage upper side, mid-section: Near RHS            Greyed-Green 191A heavily flushed Greyed-Purple 187A, margin            brightly colored Red 53A. Young foliage upper side, towards            base of leaf: Base near Green 137D. Young foliage, under            side, towards apex of leaf: Near RHS Greyed-Purple 185A.            Young foliage upper side, mid-section: Near RHS            Greyed-Purple 185A. Some marbling near Greyed-Green 191A,            margin brightly colored Red 53A. Young foliage, under side,            towards base of leaf: Near RHS Green 138B. Mature foliage            upper side, towards apex of leaf: Near RHS Greyed-Green 191A            completely covered in Greyed-Purple 185A, margin brightly            colored Red 53A. Mature foliage upper side mid-section: Near            RHS Greyed-Green 191A. heavily flushed Greyed-Purple 185A,            margin brightly colored Red 53A. Mature foliage, upper side,            towards base of leaf: Near RHS Green 138C. Mature foliage,            under side, towards apex of leaf: Near Greyed-Purple 185A.            Margin near Red 53A. Mature foliage under side mid-section:            Near Green 138A heavily flushed 185B and 185C. Margin near            Red 53A. Mature foliage, under side, towards base of leaf:            Near RHS Greyed-Purple 185B, fading to 185C towards center.            Center section near Greyed-Green 194B. Margin near            Greyed-Purple 185B.        -   Venation.—There is no visual appearance of venation.

FLOWER

-   None observed to date.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   None observed to date.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Fruits and seeds: Not observed.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately    −2° C. to at least 35° C.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance observed to fungal diseases    common with overwatering of Echeveria plants. Neither resistance or    susceptibility to other normal diseases and pests of Echeveria has    been observed.-   Drought tolerance: Tolerates at least 3 weeks of high temperatures    without supplemental water, showing no serious damage to plant.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echeveria plantnamed ‘LOVE'S FIRE’ as herein illustrated and described.